The concept of soil aerators is known in the art. Bjorge U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,922 shows a towable soil aerator device for removing plugs of soil while forming an enlarged soil aeration pocket. The aeration tubes comprise hollow cylindrical tubes that enter the soil at an angle to cut free a cylindrical soil plug. As the soil aeration device moves forward the planetary gears in the soil aeration device cause the soil aeration tubes to pivot to form a soil aeration hole or pocket wherein the bottom portion of the soil aeration hole is larger than the top opening of the soil aeration hole.
Generally, the soil aeration tubes are used to cut a cylindrical soil plug since cutting provides less soil compaction than driving a spike into the soil. As the soil aeration tubes are extended downward into the soil they cut free a soil plug which contains grass, grass roots and soil. The soil aeration tube is then lifted out of the soil to remove the soil plug which is usually discarded on top of the soil. One of the difficulties with soil aeration devices is that a substantial amount of soil, grass and roots in the form of cylindrical plugs are left on top of the soil. These soil plugs must either be removed or allowed to break down as a result of being exposed to the elements. Generally, the larger the soil plugs the longer it takes for the soil plugs to break down.
In the present invention, the size of the soil plugs left on top of the soil is substantially decreased through an aeration tine that pierces the soil to fracture the soil around a portion of the tine while an offset soil cutting cleat or cutting tube extends partially along the tine to cut a portion of the grass and soil around the soil aeration tine. By both fracturing the soil and cutting a soil plug free of the soil on only a portion of the soil around the tine one can minimize the size of the removed soil plug. In addition, a top surface on the soil aeration tine assists in scooping out soil from the aeration pocket thereby leaving a soil aeration pocket partially formed by soil fracture, partially formed by scooping soil and partially formed by a plug cutting action without the soil compaction produced by driving a spike into the soil.
The tine for penetrating the soil includes an elongated member having a nose or apex for soil penetrating, a soil fracturing section for fracturing the soil and a soil cutting tube extending partially along the elongated member to enable the tine to form an aeration hole in the soil through a process of fracturing and soil removal to thereby minimize the size of the soil plugs removed from the soil.